


Dress-up

by dicksoutforproblematiccontent



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkwardness, Banter, Crossdressing, Domestic Fluff, Dress Up, Idiots in Love, Love, Multi, Polyamory, Romantic Fluff, Supportive Partners, silliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:15:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25356823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dicksoutforproblematiccontent/pseuds/dicksoutforproblematiccontent
Summary: A snippet of an evening at home for Sephiroth, Aerith, and Cloud.Featuring: Cloud in a pretty dress, an excited Aerith, and a somewhat awkward Sephiroth.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife, Aerith Gainsborough/Sephiroth, Aerith Gainsborough/Sephiroth/Cloud Strife, Sephiroth/Cloud Strife
Comments: 10
Kudos: 76





	Dress-up

**Author's Note:**

> Now for something completely different!
> 
> I just really, really felt like writing some good ol' fluff- I wanted to include some smut, but the muses said "nah" and went to bed. Oops.
> 
> ... So pure fluff it is! Yay? 
> 
> Well, I think it's nice, anyway.
> 
> This takes place in some vague au where Aerith didn't get skewered and Sephiroth regained his senses. It's not really relelvant to the story, but I figured I'd mention it.
> 
> Obligatory "fiction is not the same as reality, what are you, three?!" disclaimer. In other words: don't like; don't read... though I guess that's kind of obsolete for such a non-problematic fic, huh? I'll still apply it for all of you weirdos out there that wanna hate just to hate.
> 
> Enjoy!

“Cloud? Are you ready to show us now?”

“I’m- a minute, Aerith. Give me a minute.”

Cloud’s voice is uncharacteristically nervous as Aerith flits about in front of their shared bedroom, knocking every so often to ask if he’s doing okay, if he’s ready, does he need her help, et cetera. Sephiroth thinks it’s cute- their girlfriend is clearly excited about the end result- but he’s happy to just lean against the wall, waiting until Cloud himself gives the okay to come in- or out, if that’s what he’d rather do. Sephiroth’s not picky- he’d even be okay if Cloud decided to call the whole thing off, too.

But he has to admit, he really wants to see their boyfriend wearing a dress.

The idea had only come up a little while ago. Sephiroth had, as a gift for her birthday, bought a new dress for Aerith. A beautiful thing, really, but still loose and practical enough that she could move without restriction, even if she needed to teach some Kalm Fangs a lesson with her staff. She’d been eyeing it for a while now, and while Sephiroth was still not the most… _well versed_ in romance and gift-giving and birthdays in general, he was pleased to note it had been the right choice. Aerith had been ecstatic, disappearing into the bedroom immediately to put on her gift. She’d happily shown it off the whole day, with her crystalline laugh and a sparkle in her eyes for every compliment she got.

When Tifa had shown up to wish her best friend a happy birthday, somehow the topic of Wall Market and the late Don Corneo had come up; events Sephiroth had no knowledge about, courtesy of him being (sort of) dead at the time, but he’d listened with interest as they reminisced. They talked about their infiltration of the old pervert’s mansion and the subsequent ass-kicking of his minions while dressed in _gauche, over the top_ dresses that were uncomfortable and really not made for fighting but damn if they weren’t pretty.

Then Aerith mentioned that Cloud, _their Cloud,_ had dressed up as a girl _himself_ in order to _protect_ them- Sephiroth hadn’t been able to help himself as he leaned forward with curiosity, wearing a smirk that he was certain could rival a satisfied cat, and asked them more about it.

While Cloud had groaned and hid his face in embarrassment, Aerith and Tifa told Sephiroth in _detail_ how pretty Cloud had looked in a modest, yet stylish dress, with makeup that accentuated his somewhat feminine features, and a corset that made his chest look like he had the _hint_ of boobs. There had been a lot of good-natured laughter as they described it, a few jabs from Cloud himself, and a chuckle from Sephiroth as he imagined it. It was a pretty picture they painted, and while he’d been sure he’d never see it in real life, it was a nice mental image that he was sure he’d use for more than a few… _fantasies._

He hadn’t thought much of it after that. It was just something from their past, and while the story about the dress had been fun, the mood had dropped as they reminisced about what information they’d gotten from Corneo- and the dropping of the sector seven plate that had followed it, so they’d moved on from the topic, and that had been that for Cloud and the dress.

Until a few days later Cloud had sat them down, all meek and shy and so out of character they’d been nervous for him, worrying something bad had happened-

Then he told them he kind of… enjoyed wearing the dress, back then, in Wall Market. And wanted to try it again, sometime. Just the three of them at home. Just to try it out.

Of course they’d both been supportive of the idea- if it was something Cloud might enjoy, then they’d be more than happy to help him. While Cloud wasn’t confident enough to actually go _out_ and buy a dress, Aerith had happily taken his measurements, and gone off to buy one in his stead- one that would, in her professional opinion, make him look ‘like the prettiest boy on the block’. She hadn’t actually allowed Sephiroth to look at the dress, however. She had zipped straight past him to give it to Cloud, and ordered Sephiroth not to look for it until their boyfriend felt like wearing it.

Which brings them to now; a few weeks later, with Cloud in their bedroom trying on the new dress while he and Aerith patiently wait outside. It’s been a good 15 minutes by now, and if he didn’t know his boyfriend so well he’d be growing concerned, but he gets it. This is a new thing, a rather unnerving yet exciting new thing for Cloud, and forcing him to move along is only going to make him withdraw into that shell of his- which, while cute at times, is really not what any of them need or want.

That doesn’t mean neither he nor Aerith are getting a bit impatient- but while he is well versed in the art of _waiting_ without doing anything in particular, Aerith is not.

She lets out a dramatic sigh as she comes over to lean against his side, crossing her arms while looking at the door to their shared bedroom.

“It’s really pretty, you know,” she says, “he’s going to look so amazing- you’ll love it.”

“So you’ve said.” Sephiroth hums, allowing his gaze to fall on his girlfriend. “I believe this is the fifth time you’ve mentioned it. Today, that is.”

“Well, it’s true.” She stomps his arm playfully. “You don’t have to act so cool about it, you know! Your eyes give away how excited you are about this, Seph!” She giggles. “They’re rounder than when you look at those exotic puddings you like.”

“ _Panna Cotta.”_ He stomps back- not at his full strength, of course, just a small shove- she’s a mage, after all. “And it doesn’t mean anything, you know that.”

“Oh _what_ , is the hallway dimmer than you’re used to?” She teases- jokingly throwing his usual excuse at him even though the lighting isn’t any different than normal. Still warm, bright, and welcoming as always.

“It is. We should get the lights checked.” He answers anyway, going along with the excuse they both know isn’t true- but it’s fine. It’s a bit of an inside joke at this point, anyway.

His eyes have always been more expressive than he can control, giving away his feelings even when inconvenient- and while at one point it bothered him, not only because it meant people could figure him out more easily, but also because they were _yet another_ inhuman thing about him- nowadays it’s not so bad. With his current lifestyle, with his current partners, he’s learned to appreciate his weird, alien eyes, and the ways they allow both Cloud and Aerith to read him even when he’s not up for talking.

A soft silence falls between them after that, with Aerith just kind of half leaning against the wall, half against him. She’s quite a bit shorter than he is, which is just fine, in his opinion. Aerith- and Cloud too, honestly- just perfectly fit against his body whenever he hugs one of them, completely surrounded and protected by his presence. He doesn’t say it very often, but it’s one of the few things he really, really loves about being with them- the way they just allow him to envelop them.

Cloud tends to get a bit huffy whenever his height is pointed out, especially compared to Sephiroth- but Aerith seems to love the height difference between her and her boyfriends. She once told Sephiroth he was ‘the perfect chest-appreciation height’- and after that had made him sit still while she and Cloud-

He lets out a short sigh, shaking the memory from his head for now. No need to work himself up. Just waiting for his boyfriend to work up the nerve to show them something he’s shy about. Nothing sexy here.

The door to the bedroom creaks a little- and both he and Aerith snap to attention, pushing away from the wall.

“Cloud? Do you want to come out?” Aerith asks when the door doesn’t open any further than a small crack.

“I-“ Cloud’s voice comes from beyond the crack, and Sephiroth can see just the hint of a lacey blue sleeve, before there’s a deep inhale, and a just barely audible “Okay”.

Then the door swings open.

Sephiroth’s breath catches just a little.

Cloud unceremoniously steps into the hallway, looking nervous and a bit uncomfortable- but past that, he looks absolutely _radiant._ The deep blue dress he’s wearing perfectly matches his eyes, golden accents in the right places making the whole thing pop. There’s some open space that teasingly shows off the top of his chest; clearly made for breasts, because the material is a bit bunched up- but still wonderfully eye-catching in all the right ways. The lace at the bottom _swish-swishes_ as Cloud walks forward- his indoor slippers are a bit jarring in contrast with the rest of the look, but otherwise-

“Wow.” Is all he manages to get out before Aerith bounds over to their boyfriend, all starry eyes and excited energy as she circles him, taking in the sight.

“Cloud! You’re so pretty!” She tells him, taking his hands into hers and tilting her head upwards to peck his lips, before turning to Sephiroth. “He is, isn’t he?”

“Yeah.” He replies rather dumbly, because _wow_ , their boyfriend looks really, _really_ good, better than he could have ever imagined. It’s taking all his concentration to not just stand there with his mouth hanging open like an animal.

It occurs to him that, even though his mouth is closed and he’s not drooling like a pervert, his silent, deadpan stare probably isn’t giving Cloud any confidence. He should rectify that.

“You look absolutely amazing, Cloud.” He says after a moment; probably a little too late to be polite, but hey, he’s trying. “It really suits you. The dress, I mean.”

“I’m really good at giving fashion advice, aren’t I?” Aerith giggles, letting go of Cloud’s hands to step back and take in his appearance once more. “Though I gotta say, I don’t think it’d look nearly as good on anyone as it does on you, Cloud. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was made _just_ for you!”

Cloud huffs, a little embarrassed, but the hint of a smile is playing on his face, rising up from under the nervousness.

“Thanks, you guys, but you don’t have to lay it on so thick. Really.” He mutters, flustered. “It’s not that special- I’m- I’m not even wearing _makeup._ ”

“You could’ve asked for our help with that, silly!” Aerith puts her hands on her hips. “Both of us wear makeup- you’re the only one here who doesn’t.”

“It wouldn’t have been a problem.” Sephiroth confirms. “I… _we_ would gladly help you with it, still. Aerith?”

“Of course!” She nods. “So what do you think, Cloud?”

“Uh- some other time, maybe.” He says, waving them off. “Let me just… get used to this first?”

“Sure.” Aerith hums. “Take all the time you need, Cloud.”

“We want this to be something you’re comfortable with, if it’s something you like doing.” Sephiroth adds; mostly because it’s the truth, but also because he wants Cloud to feel like he has control over this. That’s the right thing to do, right? To say that? He hopes it is.

It looks to be. Cloud’s embarrassment is fading away from his face more and more, replaced with that small smile of his when he’s genuinely happy. Sephiroth likes that smile- Cloud doesn’t show it as often as he’d like, but whenever he does, it makes Sephiroth’s heart skip a beat. Aerith looks like she’s happy too, happy that Cloud’s happy.

Her smiles are more common than Cloud’s, but that doesn’t mean they don’t give Sephiroth certain _feelings_ whenever he spots them.

God. He really loves his partners. It’s still a bit overwhelming, even after all this time- but in a good way. In a way that makes him feel _human_.

Aerith claps her hands together.

“Okay! So, Cloud,” she says, “what do you wanna do?”

“Oh, uh.” Cloud shuffles in place a bit. “I was thinking we could just… eat dinner together? And just hang out like we usually do.”

“That sounds acceptable.” Sephiroth nods. “Are you in the mood for anything, Cloud?”

Cloud huffs again.

“Come on- stop _pampering_ me, you two. I’m just wearing a dress.”

“But it’s still pretty new, right? You’re still getting used to it, right?” Aerith asks, tilting her head. “I think it’s pretty brave of you to do this. I know you were nervous about telling us, so…”

“Still-“

“Cloud, just pick the dinner.” Sephiroth hums. “She won’t let up, and you know it.”

Cloud rolls his eyes.

“Fine, fine.” He says, before turning to Aerith. “We still have those ingredients for stew, right?”

“Sure do! So, in the mood for a good, strong stew?”

“I always am, Aerith.”

With the decision made, the three of them make their way to the small kitchenette of their shared home, chattering along the way. Sephiroth is pleased to note that, the longer Cloud’s in the dress, the more comfortable he is around them while wearing it.

They work together on the stew- he and Cloud cutting the vegetables while Aerith prepares the meat- and later, when everything is simmering in the pot, they take turns in keeping track of the time and stirring so it doesn’t burn, just talking about everything and nothing while they wait for the food to cook. It’s stew, so it takes a good long time before it’s ready, and by the end of it Cloud seems to have all but forgotten about his earlier flustered state, confidently strutting around in a way that only makes him prettier, in Sephiroth’s honest opinion.

The stew is delicious, and they’re all silent as they eat, simply enjoying the food- Sephiroth notes Cloud is a little more careful than he usually is, taking care not to spill anything on the dress. It’s honestly kind of adorable, the way he’s so careful with the dress.

Afterwards, he and Aerith sit Cloud down while they do the dishes; telling him to go make himself comfortable and they’ll be with him soon, which Cloud accepts with a roll of his eyes and a small smile.

They don’t have a TV- almost nobody does, these days- so it’s no surprise that when the dishes are done, Cloud is merely lounging around on their couch, sitting in such a way that the dress doesn’t rumple too much, but that he’s still comfortable- and beckons them over to sit next to him. Aerith happily takes his left, while Sephiroth sits to his right, squishing Cloud in between them while they restart a new conversation, chattering about the past, the present, the future, and everything in between.

Sephiroth likes talking to his partners. They always have such interesting things to say- and they don’t mind when he takes a while to reply, sometimes, when he’s not sure how to reply.

Cloud and Aerith are a really good boy- and girlfriend.

Eventually they end up with Sephiroth’s arm slung over Cloud’s shoulder, his hand playing with the lacey ruffles on his dress while Cloud leans into his chest. Aerith, for her part, has her head in Cloud’s lap, holding his hand and toying with his fingers. It feels like it could turn into something more, something _erotic_ at any moment- but time ticks by, and it doesn’t. There’s just a simple intimacy between the three of them tonight, and that suits Sephiroth just fine. Cloud looks happier than he has in ages, Aerith looks like she could falls asleep in Cloud’s lap, and once more Sephiroth is overwhelmed by the butterflies that flutter in his stomach at seeing them like this.

When they finally get up to get ready for bed, the sun has long set and the perpetual buzzing of the city around them has died down. Sephiroth is quick to shrug off his favorite coat and pants, plopping into bed with just his boxers, getting just a glimpse of Aerith’s bare breasts before she slips into one of her nightgowns and joins him. Cloud takes a little longer with the dress, taking care to lovingly hang it up on a coat hanger in their closet, giving it a pat before closing the door, and striding over to crawl in with them.

It’s a bit cramped, really. This bed wasn’t made with three people in mind- but Sephiroth is quite happy to cuddle close to his partners, holding them against his chest in a way that reassures him that they’re still here, still with him.

Before they can say their goodnights, Cloud speaks up.

“Thanks for tonight, you guys.” His voice is low, tired. “I… really enjoyed wearing the dress, even if we just did our usual stuff.”

“Of course.” Aerith hums, burying her face into Cloud’s chest. “I’m glad it made you happy.”

“We can do it again. If you want.” Sephiroth tells him. “Anytime you feel like it.”

“Perhaps.” Cloud replies, pulling the covers over the three of them. “Some other time.”

“Some other time.” Aerith agrees. “Sleep now, though.”

“Sleep now.” Cloud nods sagely, before dropping his face into the pillow. “Goodnight.”

Aerith giggles a little.

“Goodnight, Cloud, Seph.” She says, her breathing evening out. “Sleep well.”

Sephiroth hums as he pulls them both closer, to which they grunt with mock protest, but otherwise don’t move.

“Goodnight.” He tells them.

And allows his eyes to fall closed.

**Author's Note:**

> twitter (nsfw): @Foxyinferno321


End file.
